One day Persephone is an ordinary high school senior working at her mom’s flower shop in Athens, Georgia. The next she’s fighting off Boreas, the brutal god of Winter, and learning that she’s a bonafide goddess—a rare daughter of the now-dead Zeus. Her goddess mom whisks her off to the Underworld to hide until Spring.

There she finds herself under the protection of handsome Hades, the god of the dead, and she’s automatically married to him. It’s the only way he can keep her safe. Older, wiser, and far more powerful than she, Hades isn’t interested in becoming her lover, at least not anytime soon. But every time he rescues her from another of Zeus’s schemes, they fall in love a little more. Will Hades ever admit his feelings for her?

Can she escape the grasp of her powerful dad’s minions? The Underworld is a very cool place, but is it worth giving up her life in the realm of the living? Her goddess powers are developing some serious, kick-butt potential. She’s going to fight back.

﻿﻿Review

***I received a galley copy of this book from Netgalley (ImaJinn Books, Inc.) in exchange for an honest review.***

There are many things I liked and there were some I disliked. I'll start with what I disliked.

Hades isn't at all the bad-a** god that I have always imagined him as. Yes, he is kind (that's usually a good thing), and he actually cares about the souls in the Underworld, but he didn't really have much character. He was a little lackluster in my opinion, except on his occasional confrontations with Persephone. I felt like his true potential as a character wasn't reached. I'm not saying he needed to be portrayed as a bad guy, but he could have been shown as the all-powerful god that he is, if that makes sense.

I also disliked how naive Persephone is. You'd think high school would have shown her that everyone is not who they say they are, but she goes ahead and let's herself get into a sticky situation at the end of the book. She didn't make that mistake with Hades, someone who she knows cares about her, but she lets it happen with this other dude who is only a friend? That made me angry more than anything, that she thoughtlessly backed herself into a corner there.

Okay, now for what I did like (there's a lot):

I liked how we see characters from Greek mythology in this book (Cassandra, Helen of Troy?) and some of the other Greek gods are mentioned as well. Cassandra was charismatic, but a little overbearing at times for my taste. The story flowed well and at a steady pace. I especially liked the effort that went into describing the Underworld because I could easily picture it all in my mind.

Despite how I dislike Persephone's naievity, I did like her spirit and refusal to just be a sitting duck. She wants to go fight the enemy and takes measures to try to protect and defend herself from those who wish her harm. That is something I always admire in characters and I was glad to see Persephone trying for herself instead of relying on the protection everyone said would be enough. Another thing that I do appreciate from Persephone is how she expressed and voiced her concerns for the rights of the souls in the Underworld. There was an instance where her reaction, her thoughts to the children in the Underworld got to me and made me bawl. Those were some feels I was not expecting!

In conclusion, there is promise to this series, so I'll be sure to read the second book soon to see what else is in store for Persephone and Hades.

Ami and Beck would rather forget the past, but this Christmas of love is one to remember.

Amaryllis “Ami” Bloom’s cheerful smile greets everyone in Good Hope, Wisconsin. But her merry facade hides a dark secret she won’t ever forget. Still, she throws herself into celebrating Christmas—and convinces her handsome, and stubborn, new neighbor to join her.
​
Beckett Cross, however, is determined not to celebrate the holidays. He moved to Good Hope to leave behind reminders of how he’d had it all…and lost everything. But it’s hard to resist adorable Ami, the designated keeper of the small town’s holiday traditions, when she asks for help with the Twelve Nights celebrations. And Ami has a hard time resisting Beck’s soft Southern drawl and gentle eyes. Will a Christmas miracle give them a second chance at love and the hope to heal both of their hearts for good?

Review

I got this book from Kindle's First to Read program for the month of November. I wanted something that would put me into the Christmas spirit, and this book did the job.

This was a sweet, predictable read that kind of reminded me of a Hallmark movie. What I liked about this book is that this book is about "neighbors helping neighbors" mentality, helping each other out when someone needs it. However, this does lead to everyone knowing everyone else's business. Surprisingly, this isn't really a problem with the residents of Good Hope.

I found I could connect easily because of Ami and her bakery (I kind of want to own one) and it just spurred on my daydreams of one day owning one myself.

Alas, I'm broke, so I'll just have to keep on dreaming. I liked this book, predictable as it was, and the light-hearted writing was exactly what I was expecting.

A year ago, eighteen year-old Milayna fought Azazel, Hell’s angel, for her soul. She thought she’d seen the last of him, but he's back, and he's brought his friends with him. The Four Brothers want Milayna’s life, and they have wicked powers to use to take it.

While Milayna struggles against the Four Brothers, she also has to fight Azazel for her younger brother's soul. Ben is at a crucial point in his life—a time when he is weakest to Azazel and his powers. Milayna has to shield her brother from Azazel until Ben reaches the age of accountability and enters a period of safety from Azazel and his soul-sucking demons.

As if having four demon brothers out to end her life and Hell's angel out to steal her brother's soul wasn't enough, Milayna is still reeling from the disappearance of Chay. Can she find him in time to save their relationship? Or will the constant struggle with Hell and all its evil send her seeking comfort in the arms of Xavier?

Review

***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

​In all honesty, this one fell a little flat for me. I did, for the most part, enjoy reading most of it, but there were times where some the more dramatic scenes lacked a bit of flair and excitement. For example, there was one scene closer to the end that should have provoked shock and outrage, but it didn't exactly translate over that well to me. I think this may be because the characters themselves didn't react all that much to this betrayal and failed to show those feelings to the reader.

Now on to the parts I enjoyed: I like that this book involves Milayna's brother Ben. Not that I wanted bad things to happen to him or anything, but because we rarely read about him at all in the first two books. We see a lot more of his relationship with Milayna and other characters, as well as how seriously Milayna takes her role in protecting him until he reaches the age of accountability.

Also, I'm glad Chay is back in this book because I hate Xavier. There was one part where he acts like Milayna owes him her love or affection or something and I just wanted to be her for a second just so I could punch him in the face. Ugh.

Overall, I think this book could have showed more excitement and suspense, and while it isn't my favorite of the series, I did like reading the conclusion to what started off as a great series.

After years of dreaming, Jessica is finally getting married, but the marriage isn't exactly what she thought.

Daniel is her best friend, and she's known him all her life, but he's never gotten over losing his wife two years ago. His dream is to become the pastor of the church in their hometown, but the small-town congregation keeps balking over calling an unmarried minister. Since Daniel needs a wife and Jessica wants a husband and family, she proposes an arrangement that benefits both of them.

They can get married. They can build a life together. They can celebrate Christmas as a couple. It's fine that he doesn't love her. And it's fine that she's not exactly suited to be a small-town pastor's wife. And it's fine that she's more attracted to her sexy, brooding husband every day.

Jessica can be practical about this marriage. She knows what she's getting into, after all...

This book includes fully-developed sex scenes between a husband and wife.

Review

I was looking for a cute Christmas story to get me into the mood for the holiday season. I didn't read the synopsis, so I didn't know it wasn't a clean read. It's okay though, I just skipped those parts and it did not take away anything vital from the story.

What's new to me about this story is that most Christian reads I've read before never included intimate scenes. They tend to always be clean, so this was different. Not bad, in my opinion, for those who like to read those kinds of scenes.

Anyway, I found Daniel to be a bit infuriating because he has such a hot and cold attitude. He can be kind and caring one moment, and the next moment he can just clam up. I certainly understand why Jessica is getting all sorts of mixed signals from him. And as for Jessica, you can see she has feelings that grow throughout the story, but she feels are unrequited.

I felt the resolution was very dramatic (in a good way) because they finally talk everything out. Overall, it was a quick read and I give it 3 Platypires.

Vanessa Michael Munroe, chameleon and information hunter, has a reputation for getting things done: dangerous and not quite legal things that have taken her undercover into some of the world’s deadliest places. Still healing from a Somali hijacking gone wrong and a brutal attack that left her near death, Munroe joins her lover, Miles Bradford, in Japan where he’s working as a security consultant protecting high-value technology from industrial espionage. In the domesticity of their routine she finds long sought-after peace—until Bradford is arrested for murder, and the same interests who targeted him come after her, too. Searching for answers and fighting to stay alive, Munroe will soon discover how far she’ll go to save Bradford from spending the next twenty years in locked-up isolation; how many laws she’ll break when the truth seems worse than his lies; and who to trust and who she must kill. Because she’s a strategist and hunter with a predator’s instincts, and the man she loves has just stabbed her in the back. With break-neck pacing, incendiary prose, and an unforgettable cast of characters, The Mask features Vanessa Michael Munroe: a brilliant, lethal heroine who will stop at nothing to find the truth, no matter what it may cost.

***I received a copy of this book from Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.***

When I started reading this book, I did not realize that it was the fifth book in the series and while these books can sort of be read as standalones, I think knowing Vanessa/Micheal's background story is a little important in getting to know her character. I think it would have helped me better understand her history with Miles Bradford.

Anyway, I found that the story is a little dull at the beginning, so much that I considered not reading the rest of it and putting it aside as a "Did Not Finish." It's just so routine and dull that I had a hard time not skipping ahead in hopes of the story getting better. I hit 30% when it finally did start looking up, and 58% when my interest was all-in. I'm disappointed it took until I was past the 50% mark to get fully invested in this book, because I feel it was a waste of my time. But then the action started, and the story really took off with mind-games and trying to figure out who-dun-it. I was actually grinning at 82% because of the mind games going on between Vanessa and one of the guilty parties. It was entertaining to read about, which is why I really resent the first half of the book for taking up space and taking so long to get to the great parts of this book.

This is a good book, but it isn't great, which is why it was docked 1 platypire. The 2nd platypire was docked because the first half of the book was not memorable in any way nor was it exciting or thrilling to read about. It was dull and lifeless, and the book could have been better off without it.

But, I did like the action and spy/espionage portion of it, as well as how brilliantly the author describes her scenes in a foreign country. I felt like I was there and could envision the places being described, which is something I greatly admire. So mad props to the author for that.

Because of all of these factors, I give The Mask 3/5 Platypires.

Review

For 17 year old Greer Wakefield, life has been perfect and normal. Her life is very green thanks to her parents, and she’s okay with that. Everything changes when her parents decide to take their green living to the next step. They move the family into an off the grid community. Greer grapples with the complete 180 her life has become. Living in an earth home takes some adjusting to.

Hunter Tumman has lived at Gridless all his life. Living off the grid is the only thing he knows. But new girl Greer catches his eye and their friendship throws him for a loop. Her stories of the outside has him questioning everything he thought he knew. Could there be more to life than what he’s experienced?

While one questions the life he's led, the other grows adjusted to the life she's thrust into. Will they meet in the middle or will they miss each other as they live their lives off the grid?

This is another book I won in a giveaway.

Anyway, I'll start off by saying that I did like the novella, but I did have some issues with it.

When I read books that are YA, I expect there to be some sort of angst, because let's face it, the book is about teenagers. I expected some level of angst, but I was sadly disappointed by the lack of it. There was only one instance in which Greer (our protagonist) lets off some steam. But, it is very short lived, and her parents don't even really seem to respond to her outburst. I find that very odd, because parents are not that easy going. I felt like the characters, especially the parents, were cookie-cutter caricatures and for the most part lacked character and personality.

The second point that seriously bothered me was the insta-love that occurred between Greer and Hunter. I know this is fiction, and anything is possible in fiction, but there has to be at least some sort of build-up to the love, right? It just happened way too quickly for my taste, but I know there are others who like the insta-love, and that's okay. That kind of thing just isn't for me.

Now I'll go into what I did like.

The recycling concept of living completely green. I'm sure most of us, if not all, know about the negative effects humanity has had on nature. In my own home, we try to recycle things as much as possible, and on that level, I could connect with Greer and her family's concern for nature. I'm lucky enough to live in an area where litter doesn't line the streets or the ground of public places. While we don't go out and pick up garbage in the park like Greer and her sister, we do our part to make the world a little cleaner.

I could also connect to the bond between Greer and her sister Jess, and at the anger they felt at having to move to another place where they don't know anyone. I've experienced that in many instances throughout my childhood.

Overall, it's an interesting novella, and I give it 3/5 Platypires.

Review

The Secret Seekers Society and the Beast of Bladenboro follows the young protagonists Hunter Glenn, and Elly Ann through an adventure ripe with adversity, paranormal monsters, secret societies, and most haunting of all, a life without their parents.

The book follows both the sibling’s emotional struggle from their parent’s sudden loss, as well as their physical journey into a new and strange “home”, an ancient and creepy mansion known only as the Belmonte Estate.

It is here where they first learn of their new guardian, an eccentric old man named Professor Clandestine and the rest of the mansion's caretakers. Tossed into their bedroom, and locked away under the pretense of “safety concerns” it does not take long for the children to hatch an escape plan.

Follow the children as they slowly unravel the secrets of their parent’s true identities, the origin of the strange Mansion, and their inheritance into an ancient secret society of monster hunters known as Seekers.

Review

***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

The beginning of this book reminded me of a series I read in middle school, about 3 siblings who were orphaned and were being handed off to unknown relatives. It's the same sort of situation, but in Hunter and Elly's case, they are coming to a place that cares about their safety, unlike the series I read in middle school.

Anyway, The Secret Seekers Society is a secret group of people that seek out the legends and monsters that society calls myths. But Hunter and Elly are locked away in their room, and are given very little information, so they sneak out to find out what is going on.

The story at times lagged, mostly during the first half of the book. I'll admit that the first half struggled to keep me interested because of those lagging spots. I remember starting the book, but put it down and didn't read it for 2 weeks. The second half was way more exciting and I quickly read through the remainder. There is a character named Dominick, and although at first I pitied him, by the end of the book I completely despised him.

Some redeeming qualities of this book is that it is in third person omniscient, so we can see the thoughts and actions of characters that the author wants us to see. There were many funny moments where I found myself grinning, and other times where I read quickly to find out what was going to happen next. We also got to see a small part of an adult love triangle, which also kept me reading to find out what would happen with those people.

Overall, it's a good story, but the first half seriously lacked in piquing my interest. The Secret Seekers Society and the Beast of Bladenboro receives 3 Platypires from me.

Beautiful Evil Winter, a Russian Action Thriller, earns a list of accolades including an Eric Hoffer Award for “…writing of significant merit” and a Readers’ Favorite International Book Award. The novel takes place in the 1990s after the fall of the USSR, a time reminiscent of the unforgiving, gunslinging days of the frontier west. When mild-mannered Ethan and fiery Sophia board a plane bound for Russia, they hope to secure their son’s safe passage back to the US. An innocent encounter with the Mafia de-rails their plans. Suddenly, they become a target of the iron-fisted Mafioso that wields total control of Russian adoptions. What can make matters worse? An inexperienced untrained adoption coordinator who must complete the legal process and insure a safe return to the US. How much hardship can a couple endure when faced with do or die events? When hope fails and suffering prevails, what’s left?

Review

***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

I liked the overall concept of the story. I've always wondered about the adoption process of other countries, and the fact that this one was about Russia certainly piqued my interest. There were some good parts and bad parts.

I'll start with the parts I disliked. There were some grammatical errors I encountered while reading that made me have to stop and reread a passage to understand what was going on.

I also couldn't connect very much with some of the characters. I tried very hard to like them, but some of them, like Ethan, exasperated me with their passive nature. He improved later on, but at the beginning he irritated me.

I do have some good parts I want to congratulate the author on. There is one scene in this book that absolutely disgusted me. It literally makes me queasy everytime I read it because it is so graphic and such a scary situation is being described. Kudos to the author for making me want to hit those men in the face with a shovel.

There is one character that I did connect with in the story. Her name is Natasha. Something about the way she acts and certain situations intrigued me as to what was her story. Why is she the way she is? What is going on in her home life? I wish we had gotten a bit more of her story, as it really did pique my interest.

I have to say Sophia, the main character of this story, was a strong female character, all things considered. She always came out fighting when the situation called for it, which is a great quality to have if you are trying to protect yourself and your loved ones. I admired her quick thinking throughout the book, especially with her cleverness in turning everyday household items into weapons.

All things considered, I did like the book, but I didn't love it. It gets 3 Platypires

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